September Newsletter

Our Rocket Promise reflects the environment we strive to create every day:

"We commit to creating an environment of respect, dignity, belonging, and positive engagement with our community and beyond."

Our Portrait of a Rocket describes the qualities we seek to develop and inspire in every individual during their time with us.

Rockets are prepared, hardworking, and accountable to make an impact on their local Spring Grove community and the world around them.

In the months ahead, you will begin to see Ready to Launch reflected throughout our schools, communications, and daily work. Most importantly, we hope you see it reflected in the experiences our students have each day.

Together, we are Ready to Launch!

Thursday, September 3 - Project Team Kickoff Assembly

Have your child wear their Project Team shirt!

📅 Mini Thon Spirit Week – September 21–25

• Monday, Sept. 21 – Penn State Day

  Wear your PSU gear!

• Tuesday, Sept. 22 – Teacher/Student Day

  Teachers dress as Students / Students dress as teachers.

• Wednesday, Sept. 23 – Animal Print Day
  

Lions, Tigers and Cheetahs - OH MY

• Thursday, Step 24–Color wars

Wear your grade level project team shirt!

• Friday, Sept. 25 – Gold OUT
  Rock your Gold Out shirts to support Mini-THON, and attend the HS football game at 7pm!

Tuesday, Sept. 29– NSE Fall Picture Day

Retakes will be on October 29th

This picture will be used for our 2026/2027 Yearbook. Details for how to purchase those will be delivered to your email from the PTO and Lifetouch in the months to follow.

• September 9- September 25

Harvest Hustle Fun Run Donation Collection (details and form coming soon!)

• Tuesday, Sept. 28– FIRST EVER Harvest Hustle Fun Run Event (Rain date is 9/30)

SAVE THE DATE:

Annual Trunk or Treat event in the NSE parking lot

Saturday, October 10th from 6-7:30PM. Rain date will be October 24th.

Please read the Student handbook, found on our District Website, for reference as needed. The handbook outlines the rules and procedures adopted to help us maintain a positive and safe school environment. Your cooperation in reading and following school guidelines is greatly appreciated. If you do not have access to a digital version, you may obtain a copy of the handbook in the school office.

So that we can best support you and your child/children, please complete the Back to School Paperwork listed below, online, and no later than Friday, September 11, 2026.

• Handbook Acknowledgment
• COPPA/FERPA Acknowledgment
• Student Data Card
• iPad Protection Plan
• My School bucks

Optional forms are not required to be submitted and are available in Sapphire's Student Data Forms section if you elect to submit them.

Login in to your Sapphire Community Portal to complete them, if you have not already, or want to view your child's info on their account.

Steps to Complete Excuse Cards & Educational (Pre-Planned) Trip Forms in the Sapphire Parent Portal

1. Sign in to your Parent Portal account through the SGASD website.

   • Go to the Students & Families tab.

   • Click Sapphire Quick Links (blue diamond icon).

2. In your parent portal, go to “My Backpack” for the student.

3. Select “Student Data Forms.”

4. Choose one of the following On Demand Forms:

   • Digital Excuse Card (for sickness/doctor appointment)

   • Educational Trip Form (for vacations or other pre-planned absences)

5. Complete the form, including:

   • Parent signature (required for each day absent).

   • Upload doctor’s notes (optional) directly to the Digital Excuse Card.

6. Click “Submit” (bottom right corner).

7. The form will show as Pending in Sapphire until it is manually reviewed and processed.

8. Once reviewed, you’ll receive an automated notification that an update has been uploaded to your Sapphire account.

** Please note: Paper excuse notes are no longer accepted by the District. You will upload Doctor notes into the Digital Excuse card as an attachment so the absences or time away from school can be excused.**

Dear NSE Parents:

Spring Grove Area School District partners with New Hope Ministries, a local social service agency, to offer a youth weekend food program for families in need. The program is free of charge.

How It Works:

The program begins each fall and runs through the end of the school year. Each Thursday or Friday before dismissal, students in the program receive a grocery bag filled with nutritious foods that are easy to prepare and eat over the weekend.

Typical foods in the bag could include:

• Cereal
• Water, milk, juice
• Granola bars
• Fruit snacks
• Soup
• Pasta and spaghetti sauce

Student participation is confidential and known only to school and New Hope staff involved in the program's operation.

If you are interested in participating in this program, please complete and submit the form below for each of your children. The program begins on September 14, 2026.

You may submit your Backpack Program Registration online.

Or call:

Jennifer Dugan at 717-225-4731 ext. 1072 for questions or to register via phone.

📚 New Salem’s Little Free Library is here! 📚

Have you noticed the blue-and-white bin in front of the building that says “Children’s Sidewalk Library”? It has a new purpose—and it’s now filled with FREE books for our New Salem families!

We hope you’ll stop by, browse the selection, and take a book (or two!) to enjoy at home. Whether you’re looking for a bedtime story, a new adventure, or just something fun to read, there’s a book waiting for you!

Take a book. Read. Enjoy. Share the love of reading! ❤️📖

Spring Grove Area School District is proud to take part in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, which allow us to provide free and reduced-price meals to eligible students.

For the 2026-2027 school year, all schools participating in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) must provide free breakfast to all enrolled students. Additionally, students identified as eligible for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will not be charged for their meals.

Each school year, families are encouraged to apply if they believe they may qualify.

• Please remember that your child’s application is valid only for the current school year and the first 30 operating school days of the next school year.
  
• A new application must be submitted each year, unless you’ve received a Notice of Direct Certification letter from the district that your child is already approved for the new school year. Please let us know if any children in your household are not listed on the Notice of Direct Certification letter you received.

You only need to complete one application per household, and you can apply at any time during the school year if your household income or situation changes.

For more information or How to Apply please visit our website. A paper form is also available that your child can return to the main office.

Spring Grove Area School District does not allow food and drinks from outside the school building to be brought in for birthday celebrations and snacks for the classroom. Our Nutrition Services Department offers a convenient and stress-free way for parents to provide food and snacks in the classroom through the Birthday Baskets and Classroom Snacks services.

Both services can be easily purchased using MySchoolBucks and meet the federal Smart Snack nutritional and allergy requirements/guidelines.

The birthday basket is $25.00 for 2026-27 school year.

The classroom snacks are $15.00 per bundle of 24 assorted individually wrapped Smart Snack-compliant snacks.

Birthday baskets and classroom snacks can be purchased by using the SGASD Store section of the MySchoolBucks website or mobile app.

Please note that you cannot use funds from your child's meal account to purchase birthday baskets or classroom snacks.

Junior Achievement is once again planning to come to many classrooms at NSE this year. But we need your help to make it happen! If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity to help lead our students in a few lessons during the day, all the materials are provided in advance to you. Please review the FAQ's flyer below for more information. You can contact the office, your child's teacher or Stacey Hicks, with the JA program, to let us know of your interest.

Your child attends New Salem Elementary, which receives Federal Title I funds to assist students in meeting state achievement standards. Our school will engage families and parents in the work of ensuring positive outcomes for all students.Throughout the school year, we will be providing you with important information about this law and your child’s education. This letter lets you know about your right to request information about the qualifications of the classroom staff working with your child.

Please review our Annual Notices page for more information.

Accessibility Notice:

SGASD is committed to digital accessibility for all. If you have trouble accessing any content in this newsletter or need it in an alternate format, please contact us at info@sgasd.org. For more information, you can view our full Accessibility Statement.